Election campaign rules stir debate

Election campaign rules stir debate

Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Now that legislators have permitted the participation of the
heads of state in the election campaigns next year, questions
have already surfaced on the extent of their involvement, without
compromising public interests.

Legislators approved the change in the election law they
endorsed last week, for the first time allowing the incumbent
president and vice president to join the election campaigns of
their respective political parties; but analysts said it lacked
details.

"There is no clarity over who should regulate their
campaigns," executive director of the Center for Electoral Reform
(CETRO) Hadar N. Gumay said on Sunday.

Article 75 of the election law bans officials from using state
facilities during campaigns. They must also take a leave of
absence, but stay attentive to their duties.

Hadar said these three points should be elaborated. Except for
security and a minimum level of protocol, President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz should not be allowed
to use state facilities, he opined.

What is unclear is how long state officials may take their
leave, since the campaign period will last three weeks. Megawati
and Hamzah might need several weeks, as they will almost
certainly join the direct presidential election campaigns.

The general election is just one year away, but legislators
and the government have not issued all the needed laws and rules
to clear up such questions.

Legislator Ahmad Chozin Chumaidy agreed that the regulation
should be clear, as political parties may face stiff sanctions if
they breach Article 75.

Under Article 76, a violation could ban the party from
continuing their campaign.

"What kind of political party would it be if it cannot
campaign anymore?" asked Chozin of the United Development Party
(PPP), whose chairman is Vice President Hamzah.

Meanwhile, CETRO's Hadar doubted whether the government could
draw up the needed rulings without losing its objectivity.

"The government here is a contestant too -- we're talking
about the ruling party...can the government regulate itself?" he
asked in reference to the 1999 general elections winner, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), which
President Megawati chairs.

The election bill did contain a clause appointing the General
Election Commission (KPU) to draft the rulings, but Hadar said
that legislators dropped the clause and left the task open.

"They probably think the KPU consists of hard-liners who would
impose stringent regulations that they don't want."

KPU member Ramlan Surbakti said ideally, the presidential law
should regulate the issues concerning the president and vice
president.

So far, there is no law regulating the leave of the country's
state leaders.

Previously, the House of Representatives legislators demanded
a presidential law regarding this issue during former President
Abdurrahman Wahid's 22-month rule, but stopped pushing for it
when Megawati replaced him. Analysts believe legislators merely
wanted to curb Abdurrahman's presidential power.

It is unlikely now that legislators would want to pick up the
bill again for the sake of regulating the president's leave.

There might not be enough time left to draft the law anyway,
said Ramlan.

With time running short, lawmakers have yet to start debating
the direct presidential election bill and another bill on the
composition of legislative bodies. Aside from the political party
and the general election laws, the two bills are also crucial in
preparing next year's election.